Apparatus for carbonating a liquid in a bottle

Abstract

Described herein is an apparatus for carbonating a liquid in a bottle, said apparatus comprising a main body and a head, wherein said head is configured to hold a bottle filled with a liquid and wherein said head is movably attached to said main body such that said head with said bottle can be moved between a first position at said main body and a second position away from said main body through a threshold position between said first and said second position or at said second position, characterized in that said apparatus further comprises a switch and a valve operatively connected to said switch, wherein arranging said head with said bottle at said first position or between said first position and said threshold position causes said switch to close said valve or to keep said valve closed and wherein arranging said head with said bottle at said second position or between said second position and said threshold position causes said switch to open said valve or to keep said valve open.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for carbonating a liquid in a bottle, said apparatus comprising a main body and a head, wherein said head is configured to hold a bottle filled with a liquid and wherein said head is movably attached to said main body such that said head with said bottle can be moved between a first position at said main body and a second position away from said main body through a threshold position between said first and said second position or at said second position, characterized in that said apparatus further comprises a switch and a valve operatively connected to said switch, wherein arranging said head with said bottle at said first position or between said first position and said threshold position causes said switch to close said valve or to keep said valve closed and wherein arranging said head with said bottle at said second position or between said second position and said threshold position causes said switch to open said valve or to keep said valve open. 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said liquid in said bottle can be carbonated if the valve is closed and wherein gas can be released from said bottle through the valve, if said valve is open. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said head is pivotably attached to said main body, such that said head with said bottle can be pivoted between said first and said second position. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said switch is a lever switch arranged between said main body and said head, wherein arranging said head with said bottle between said first position and said threshold position actuates a lever of said lever switch, causing said lever switch to close said valve or to keep said valve closed, and wherein arranging said head with said bottle between said second position and said threshold position releases said lever, causing said lever switch to open said valve or to keep said valve open. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the valve is a normally open valve. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said valve is a normally open solenoid valve, wherein actuating said lever enables said normally open solenoid valve to energize, whereby said normally open solenoid valve is closed or kept closed and wherein releasing said lever causes said normally open solenoid valve to deenergize, which causes said normally open solenoid valve to open or to keep said normally open solenoid valve open. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said normally open solenoid valve is configured to be energized by actuating the lever only upon a user input. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said valve is a normally open solenoid valve, wherein actuating said lever causes said normally open solenoid valve to energize, which causes said normally open solenoid valve to close or to keep said normally open solenoid valve closed and wherein releasing said lever causes said normally open solenoid valve to deenergize, which causes said normally open solenoid valve to open or to keep said normally open solenoid valve open. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said first position and said threshold position are separated by a pivot angle β of 2° to 15°. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said switch is an optical or gyroscopic switch configured to detect a position of said head with said bottle, and wherein if said optical or gyroscopic switch detects a position of said head with said bottle corresponding to a position at said first position or between said first and said threshold position, said switch causes said valve to close or to keep said valve closed and wherein if said optical or gyroscopic switch detects a position of said head with said bottle corresponding to a position between said second and said threshold position or at said second position, said optical or gyroscopic switch causes said valve to open or to keep said valve open. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a water tank configured to be filled with water, wherein said water tank is in fluidic connection with said bottle via a liquid line. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising a pump for pumping water from said water tank into said bottle. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said valve is further configured to open if a gas pressure inside said bottle exceeds a predetermined value. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pressure relief valve in fluidic connection with said bottle via a pressure relief line, wherein said pressure relief valve is configured to open if a gas pressure inside said bottle exceeds a predetermined value, wherein gas is released from said bottle. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising said bottle. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein an opening portion of said bottle forms a male counterpart complementary to a female receptor portion of said head, such that said bottle and said head are configured and arranged to be connected to each other via a bayonet mount formed by said female receptor portion of said head and said opening portion of said bottle. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a pressurizing line for carbonating said liquid in said bottle, a normally closed valve arranged along said pressurizing line, a trigger mechanism operatively connected to said normally closed valve, as well as a gas source fluidly connected to said pressurizing line, wherein actuating said trigger mechanism causes said normally closed valve to open, creating a fluid connection between said gas source and said bottle, wherein a predetermined amount of gas is injected from said gas source to said bottle. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a mechanism configured to open said valve upon carbonation of said liquid in said bottle after a predetermined lull time, such that gas can be released from said bottle through said valve. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein said mechanism is configured to release said gas in a sequence of subsequent opening and closing events of said valve. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a control unit with a safety shutdown function configured such that upon a failure event, said safety shutdown function stops fluid transfer into the bottle and causes said valve to open and said normally closed.